Let Me Be the One

San Francisco Sullivans, Book 6

By: Bella Andre

Narrated by: Eva Kaminsky

Length: 8 hrs and 15 mins

Publisher's summary

In Let Me Be The One, the brand-new book in Bella Andre's New York Times and USA Today best-selling series about the Sullivan family, an unexpected friends-to-lovers romance might not only turn out to be so much hotter than anything bad-boy pro-baseball-player Ryan Sullivan has ever known...but much, much sweeter, too.

When Vicki Bennett saved Ryan Sullivan's life as a teenager, it was the beginning of a close friendship that never wavered despite her failed marriage to someone else and Ryan's well-earned reputation as a ladies man. So when she suddenly needs a pretend boyfriend to protect herself and her career from a powerful man's advances, he is the only person she can imagine asking.

Ryan will do anything to protect Vicki from harm, but when their "fake" kisses and caresses lead to an incredibly sensual night that neither of them can resist, will he have made the biggest mistake of all by irreparably jeopardizing their friendship? Or is it possible that what they've both been looking for has been right there the whole time…and the perfect combination of wicked and sweet, friendship and love, is finally within reach?

©2012 Oak Press, LLC (P)2012 Oak Press, LLC

Another Bella favorite!

Would you listen to Let Me Be the One again? Why?

Sure. I'm enjoying the entire Sullivan series. I already feel compelled to re-listen to Chase and Chloe's story all over again!

Which scene was your favorite?

Aside from the hot, steamy sex scenes my favorite moment was when Vicky shared with Ryan about her opportunity to work in Italy. I was dreading that Vicky was going to play martyr and be self anguished about the opportunity, but she was honest and straightforward. I was relieved and felt that the author built a great character in Vicky.

Any additional comments?

Can't wait to hear Smith's and Naughty's stories! I believe Smith's story is out on ebook/paperback but I'm really enjoying Eva Kaminsky's narration. Will try to wait patiently for audio versions!

Nice love story, nice plot

Setting:,San Francisco , CA, present day
Genre: Romance
Narration: Eva Kaminsky does a good job through this series, but her range isn't that great, so when there is more than one male in the scene, it is a little difficult.
This story had a meatier plot than the others. It is, of course, a love story, but there's more to it than that. This one, as with Sophie and Jake's story, dips into the past. This is due to a previous relationship in which Ryan and Vicki were close friends for a year in high school. They love one another, not only because of that year in school, but because the friendship grew through email and phone calls. Of course, they don't confess their love, so this is part of the conflict in the plot.
Now, around 10 or 15 years later, Ryan is a well-known professional baseball player in SF, and Vicki is a not so well known sculptor. She married a Svengali kind of fellow sculptor right after college and they lived a somewhat nomadic life. Apparently, her husband was condescending regarding her talent, as well as her refusal to join in sexual games with others in the arts community. She finally saw the light and divorced the control freak. Now she has returned to SF to apply for a fellowship. She calls on Ryan to help her out when one of the judges sexually harasses her. That guy is just icky. Now, Ryan moves her into his guest room because she was living in the Mission District, apparently a dangerous place. So, we have the conflict in the love story, and the fellowship contest with the creepy judge. See? A whole lot more than a personality-driven plot.
I do have a little bit of twinge issue with timing. First, the Army doesn't move families every year. That would be a waste of the tax payer's money. The only time a Soldier is at a duty station for less than 2 years is when he/she is posted to a hardship area, like Korea. In that case, the family stays behind. One year seems a little short for the development of lasting love. This story would still have worked with the family staying the minimum of 2 years. The other issue is with that gap between her leaving Palo Alto and returning to the area. Was it 15 years? Or was it that she was married for 10 years? I could not figure it out.
Anyway, you won't want to miss this one in the series.

Too slow to get to the point

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I have loved the stories about the Sullivan family, but this one took too long to get to the point.One of the reasons I have stopped listening to other authors in the past is the angst they make you feel when the characters care a lot about and even love each other but continue to go on and on with their own misconceptions rather than realize the truth of their interest in each other. It just seems that, with each book she writes in this series, the author prolongs the agony of the main characters coming to the realization that they are in love; That turns me off. I would rather they figure it out early and work through the issues that ensue. If I had not listened to 5 books already about other siblings I would stop listening to this one now at the remaining 2.5 hour mark.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Get to the point at 4 hours left instead of less than 2.

Not great, not horrible.

This story is a bunch of cliches. Maybe the writing just isn't my style. The first love scene made me want to puke it was so cheesy. I did like the friends to lovers theme and how they didn't get together instantly. I thought the dialogue b/w them as 15 year olds was unrealistic in the beginning of the story.

Not much substance.

This series is fun and lighthearted but there's not much story here. I've listened to them all and will continue to see what happens to all the Sullivans. But, as the series progresses the stories get shorter with less plot development.